hooked on HEREFORDSherefords.co.nz/newsletters/201406/Hooked_on_Herefords...Okawa Hereford stud in canterbury more than meets this criteria and was recently presented a fellowship

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Editor: Donna Abbiss, NZHA Megan Ellett, NZHA Assistant AddrEss: PO Box 503, Feilding 4740 PhonE: 06 323 4484 FAx: 06 323 3878 EmAil: [email protected] WEbsitE: www.herefords.co.nz www.herefordprime.co.nz

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Office enquiriesNZHA Enquiries Donna Abbiss is available between 9am - 4.30pm, Monday and Wednesday Or Megan ellett Tuesday and Thursday 8.30am -5.00pm. [email protected] & NZHA Projects natalie campbell is available 9am-4pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Or [email protected] NZHA Registry Linda shailer, is available to assist with your Hereford registry enquiries between 8am - 4pm, Monday to friday. [email protected] Services sharyn Anderson, 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to friday. [email protected] Ordering through the PBBnz office, Monday to Friday. [email protected] Design Adele Gray, 9am - 4.30pm, Monday to friday. [email protected]

thE bi-monthly nEWslEttEr oF thE nEW ZEAlAnd hErEFord AssoCiAtion JUnE 2014

HEREFORDShooked on

1 NZHA FELLOWSHIP AWARDED

3 HEREFORD PRIME NEWS

4 COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS

7 AGINNOVATION 2014

11 FUTURE BEEF 2014

13 NZHA AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA

15 NZHA AMBASSADOR TECH TOUR

19 TAKING KEYBOARD CONTROL

26TH JULY 2014 COPY DUE FOR AUGUST NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER NZHA COUNCIL MEETING

12TH -14TH NOVEMBER CANTERBURY SHOW

HEREFORD NZ HAS A QR CODE FOR THOSE WITH IPHONES OR SMARTPHONES.SIMPLY SCAN THE ICON WITH YOUR PHONE, AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE NZ HEREFORD WEBSITEQR C

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E

An nZHA fellowship honour is given to a person for outstanding service to the Hereford breed as a breeder, services to the breed and also someone who is a role model to other breeders.

David Morrow from Okawa Hereford stud in canterbury more than meets this criteria and was recently presented a fellowship honour during the Hereford breed function at Awhea, part of Aginnovation 2014.

speaking on behalf of nZ Herefords, south island Hereford breeder Bruce robertson spoke about David, deeming it “a real honour to present our new fellow of the nZ Hereford Association”.

Bruce describes David as “a very humble man who does not seek the limelight or accept praise easily but i know this is something that he will be very proud of”.

David was elected to the nZHA council in 1997 and chaired the technical committee from 1999 during a difficult period when many breeders struggled to come to terms with eBVs,

and he put in a lot of effort into helping these breeders.

David was elected nZHA President in 2003 and those on the council at the time well remember his banning of cell phones and the brown knitted jerseys (which remain a key component of his wardrobe today!). in 2004 he led the Hereford delegation to the World conference in Australia and it was here that he played a pivotal role in the successful nomination of Jan Wills to World Hereford secretary General. David stood on the Hereford council for 10 years, while also being

David Morrow receives deserved NZ Hereford Fellowship

David Morrow (right) from Okawa Stud receives his NZHA Fellowship Honour from NZHA President Philip Shepherd.

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2 t H E N E W Z E A L A N D H E R E F O R D A S S O C I A t I O N M E M B E R N E W S L E t t E R

President’s Notefrom a Hereford perspective, Aginnovation was a resounding

success from start to finish. We started with the bull walk at Langtry’s with close to 200 people present to view a great line up of bulls, followed by the very successful breed lunch where we acknowledged the contribution retiring councillor Peter smyth, has made to the breed over his twelve years as an nZHA councillor. The Association is very appreciative of the Langtry family for making their property available for the grazing of bulls and especially for the bull walk and this year the on-farm breed luncheon.

At the luncheon, the nZHA also honoured David Morrow as a fellow of the Breed for his “recognised leadership in the development and progression of the Hereford breed in nZ”, over many years. Many congratulations to David, an honour well deserved.

The led judging at Manfeild Park followed, with a great show of Herefords, and Kelly O’neill’s bull, Okahu sonny Bill taking top honours and going on the next day to win the PGG Wrightson champion of champions for 2014. Okahu sonny Bill sold for the top price of all breeds for $40,000. congratulations Kelly, very well done.

Herefords overall sale average was up by $674, to $10,444 with three bulls selling for more than $30,000.

Attendance levels were also up for those participating in the

technical seminars at Aginnovation, so from a sponsors perspective - a successful event. Phil Barnett and the organising committee are to be congratulated for achieving this.

The only possible downside of the event was the disappointing nZ Herefords representation in the 2014 steak of Origin competition. We as breeders need to decide whether the steak of Origin competition is important to us and our breed, and if we do as Beef & Lamb and other industry participants do, we then need to support it with more entries. Here’s to record Hereford entry levels in 2015!

We thank Gray Pannett for taking on the nZHA Treasurer’s position for the breed after Peter Smyth’s retirement - our finances continue to be in good hands.

i wish you all well with the coming bull sales and busy calving period. it is a time to look forward to, anticipating if we made the correct sire purchasing decisions the previous year.

Kind regards, Philip shepherd.President, nZHA

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a director of Hereford Prime from 2000-2010.Along with his very supportive wife rosemary, David runs the

Okawa Hereford stud at Mt somers in canterbury. established by his father in 1954 the herd has been under David’s stewardship for many years and is now considered one of the premier herds in the country. This has been vindicated by Okawa receiving the inaugural Herd of excellence award in 2009 and its doors being open for all to see at the winners’ field day. Today the business is run in conjunction with David and rosemary’s daughter and son-in-law Penny and nick france.

it is certainly a well run operation with the annual bull sale continuing to have one of the highest sale averages each year. To sell 40 2yr bulls each year puts it amongst one of the largest on-farm sales in new Zealand.

As an nZHA judge David has few peers. He has judged Herefords at many shows around new Zealand and at Beef expo has judged Herefords, simmentals, Angus and the champion of champions. He is very focused and has a good eye for good cattle with excellent explanations always following his decisions.

As farmers David and rosemary have also received other awards. in earlier times they were named romney farmer of the Year. They are still key lamb suppliers to canterbury Meat Packers and have in the past also been named cMP supplier of the Year.

in closing his citation Bruce said “Well done David. it has been a privilege knowing and working with you over the years and reiterates an award very well earned. congratulations.”

Continued from previous page . . .


t H E N E W Z E A L A N D H E R E F O R D A S S O C I A t I O N M E M B E R N E W S L E t t E R 3

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it was a cooking competition with a difference and not one team put forward cremated chops or burnt offerings.

The Hereford Prime team that entered the inaugural Aginnovation new Zealand BBq championships – a competition of the low and slow cooking kind – may not have succeeded in taking home any prizes but they had plenty of fun, learnt a lot and successfully presented to the judging panel slow cooked succulent sub-primal cuts. And this was achieved with not one of them having had any previous exposure to the cooking technique used.

Hereford breeders Phil Barnett, Duncan Mitchell and Tim and Helen Molloy all joined forces to help Hereford Prime brand manager natalie campbell undertake the low and slow cooking competition.

entered teams were provided the sub-primal cuts they were to use, which included Hereford Prime beef spare ribs, beef brisket, lamb spare ribs and a lamb shoulder and all had to be cooked in a smoking-BBq.

The competition called for steady nerves and a lot of patience with some cuts taking up to 10 hours to slowly smoke and gently cook through. no gas or electric BBqs were allowed with only smokers that are powered by charcoal, wood, or wood pellets allowed.

After turn in (when competing teams had to present judges their sliced, diced or pulled meat) the public and teams were encouraged to sample the result of hours of patiently cooking.

Hereford Prime wasn’t lucky enough to win any of the formal prizes, but the public who readily sampled the end result on the final day all resoundingly chose the Hereford Prime team’s offerings.

A panel of two judges, Darren Lange from Grillpro in Australia and Mike Oxley from uncle Mike’s Kansas city BBq in Petone said the Hereford Prime team only just missed out and it was very close between all teams. An impressive feat given only one team had previous experience in the smoking BBq technique.

The judges scored the dishes on, smoke ring, bark, texture and taste.

Darren also went on to say that the Hereford Prime beef ribs were “some of the best i’ve ever seen.”

fellow judge Mike whole-heartedly agreed – “they were great.”

The Hereford Prime BBQ competition team, from left, Phil Barnett, Natalie Campbell, Tim Molloy and Helen Molloy. Absent is Duncan Mitchell.

Hereford Prime Enters Inaugural BBQ Competition

Oops.in the 2014 edition of the nZ Herefords magazine the web address

for Hamilton restaurant Bluestone steakhouse was incorrect.Bluestone steakhouse, proudly serve Hereford Prime beef in

Hamilton and their correct website is www.bluestonesteakhouse.co.nz



At the May 2014 meeting of the NZHA Council, the following discussions were held. PLEASE read the following communication carefully. If you have any thoughts, please contact your local NZHA Councillor.

NZHA Council President Philip shepherd Vice President chris Douglas Treasurer Gray Pannett

Council CommitteesCommittee Chairfinance Gray PannettPromotions/ Marketing chris Douglasfield Day & Magazine Paul scottsponsorship colin corneyTechnical and research Andrew russostrategic Plan colin corneyAg innovation, show & sales Jimmy Murraysemen Marketing colin corneyAmbassadors ni - Andrew russo si - Paul scottregistry and regulations chris DouglasMeat sector colin corneyWorld Hereford council colin corneyPBBnZ Directors Philip shepherd Phil Barnett Jason GrahamBeef Holdings Ltd Peter smythnZHA executive Philip shepherd chris Douglas Phil Barnett, Gray Pannett colin corney

nZhA Council discussions with beef + lamb GeneticsThe council recently met with steve Miller and Jason Archer, both involved with Beef+ Lamb Genetics Beef potential research projects.nZHA council strongly urged for the following potential research topics to be considered-

1. The Hill country Beef cow – the need to recognise the value of the Hill country cow in the nZ sheep and beef industry and the requirements for $ values to be attached to the merits of selecting best beef genetics in terms of fertility, growth and longevity - profit drivers to support an upward lift in hill country beef production.

2. Adding value across the entire Dairy Beef chain – recognising the value of improved dairy beef genetics in the dairy beef chain , to ensure value can be added across the entire dairy beef chain, through to slaughter.

The nZ Hereford Assn council recognises the Dairy Beef research work which has been carried out by Dr Vicki Burggraaf, Agresearch scientist... ‘Research shows mating using better beef genetics may be a win-win’.However, the nZHA council, on behalf of nZHA breeders wishes to see comprehensive research carried out, investigating and placing commercial $ values on the influence/ merits of improved dairy beef genetics throughout the entire growth stages of the dairy beef chain i.e. from four day old calf through to sale as a weaner stage, followed by the weaner through to finishing/slaughter stage of the extensive dairy beef chain.

nZhA Governance modelThe nZHA strategic Plan Governance subcommittee is currently fine tuning a proposed NZHA Governance model going forward. The council discussed the proposal at their May meeting, with final amendments now to be made before the proposed structure is communicated to members and Hereford clubs in July– for final consultation as outlined at the 2014 nZHA AGM.

nZhA breeder marketing WorkshopsThere has been a small amount of breeder interest shown in the potential ‘Marketing your stud ‘workshop concept - however this interest is at two differing levels of stud breeder experience. The nZHA strategic Plan Market sub-committee is looking further into the feasibility of the concept.Tentative date for workshop, if it is to be held – november 2014.

Completeness of Performanceindividual stud ‘star ratings’ will become live and display on internet solutions as of 1 August 2014. Breeders can also expect an updated completeness of Performance report for their herd in August 2014.

Future beef nZA ‘future Breeders’ heifer class will be added to the future Beef event in 2015.Junior entrants can enter weaner/yearling heifers, crossbred or purebred with the option of choosing the fate of the heifer. intermediate and senior entrants will continue to enter steers.

billing of heifer Fees - reminderTwo year old fees are billed at the same time as cow fees (October 2014) AnD will be due the same time as cow fees – due 20 november 2014.

PErFormAnCE rECordinG inFormAtion hypotrichosis ruling – from 1 January 2014 - reminder.

from 1 January, all bulls (of any age, including calves) sold for transfer i.e. sold for breeding, must be correctly sire verified, in conjunction with having a DNA profile and being hypotrichosis tested and declared free.

Council Communications



The addition to the ruling is simply a matter of ‘ticking the box’ for Sire verification on the DNA envelope, when requesting a DNA profile to be done (incurs no additional charge).Please note the Hypotrichosis free sires List found on the nZHA website under Assn. and Member services, is a live listing so is automatically updated as hypo results are processed. The same results can be found by individually researching an animal under the internet solutions search engine.

nZhA Published sires listfrom 2014, the sire summary has been removed from the nZ Herefords annual magazine. With the advent of monthly group runs, the Published sires List ( ex sire summary) is continually updated throughout the calendar year and can be found on the nZHA website under BreedPLAn. ABri no longer creates reports such as the sire summary because the change to monthly analyses means the results are out-of-date before the printed reports are generated.

Trait Leader Lists … iLr2 does have a sire listing report but no sire trait leader list. Breeders should use the Animal enquiry service provided in Internet Solutions as it provides significant flexibility regarding the selection and sorting of animals. Selecting "Published sires" and then sorting on a relevant trait will effectively produce a trait leader listing.it is recommended that breeders refer to internet solutions service as the preferred delivery tool for these types of reports. it has the relevant information (and is up-to-date at very regular intervals) and can be accessed almost anywhere and anytime.

nZhA Paddock notebooks and Calving Ease scoringPlease find enclosed with this issue of the hooked on Herefords, your 2014 paddock notebook for maintaining calving records.

With respect to calving ease for nZHA animals, breeders are encouraged to score as many calf deliveries as possible.The greatest vagary in the system is inaccurate reporting of actual calving ease/difficulty.

However there are several factors involved… » Breeders not scoring calving ease at all. » Breeders scoring calving ease inaccurately. If you

hurriedly score all your cows the same calving score for example – 0 or blank (no difficulty), the system defaults to a nil recording situation.

» The system does not accept that every cow has had the same calving experience.

Understanding Calving Ease EBVs - Calving difficulty has an obvious negative impact on the profitability of a herd through increased calf and heifer mortality, slower re-breeding performance and considerable additional labour and veterinary expense.Recording Information for Calving Ease - calving ease eBVs are calculated from three main sources of information – calving difficulty score, birth weight and gestation length data. By far the

most important of these sources is calving difficulty score.Calving difficulty scores should be measured at birth by visually scoring females on the following scale of 1 - 6.

Score Code Description1. Unassisted - Cow calved unassisted / No difficulty2. easy Pull - One person without mechanical assistance3. Hard Pull - Two people without mechanical assistance, one

person with mechanical assistance4. surgical Assistance - Veterinary intervention required5. Mal-presentation - eg. Breech6. elective surgical -surgical removal of calf before the cow has

the opportunity to calve* Note that a blank score will not be interpreted as “no difficulty”. Instead, it indicates that calving difficulty was not scored. Calving difficulty scores can be submitted to your Breed Society/Association when submitting your calf registration details.

When recording calving difficulty scores, it is important to consider: » if you regularly check your cows (e.g. on a daily basis), it is

reasonable to assume that a cow who calves without assistance between visits can be considered as unassisted (no difficulty) even though you did not see her calve.

» Record a score for all calves rather than just difficult or easy births. scores should be recorded for dead calves, if possible.

» If calving difficulty score is either blank or [0], it is interpreted as no score recorded rather than "no difficulty".

» There needs to be some level of calving difficulty in the herd for the scores to be used effectively by the BreeDPLAn analysis. That is, simply scoring all births in a herd with a calving difficulty score of [1] will not identify any genetic differences in ease of calving.

» A birth management group should be recorded if there are different treatments of the females prior to calving that may affect calving difficulty. For example, where one group of cows have had different feed availability.

» When calculating the Calving Ease EBVs, calving difficulty scores of [3] and [4] are grouped together. Calving difficulty scores [5] & [6] are excluded from the

BreeDPLAn analysis as the problems are considered non-genetic in origin.for more information, please go to the BreedPLAn – Tip sheets link on the nZHA website.

Eye Pigment – now displayed on Internet Solutions reported as eye pigment % (L/r): 100/100Breeders are able to note eye pigment in their paddock notebooks and also on recording forms; both electronic and paper forms.

Docility EBV - Breeders now have the ability to record Docility scores (optional)

Understanding Docility EBVsDocility in cattle is the way cattle behave when being handled by



humans or put in an unusual environment such as being separated from the mob in a small yard. What we define as poor docility is a survival trait in the wild – fear of anything unusual and the desire to escape. In domesticated cattle it is exhibited as flightiness. importantly, docility is a highly heritable trait and can be improved genetically.

Interpreting Docility EBVsDocility eBVs are estimates of genetic differences between animals in temperament. Docility eBVs are expressed as differences in the percentage of progeny that will be scored with acceptable temperament (ie. either “docile” or “restless”). Higher, more positive, Docility eBVs are more favourable. for example, a bull with an eBV of +20 would be expected to on average produce 15% more progeny with acceptable temperament than a bull with an eBV of -10.

Recording Information for DocilityDocility eBVs are calculated from docility scores recorded on animals when the animals are between 60 and 400 days of age (scores can be recorded in your paddock notebook).

The recommended time of scoring is at weaning or shortly afterwards. The advantage of scoring at weaning is that all calves should have had similar treatment so variation in handling prior to scoring should be minimised.Animals can be scored for temperament using either a yard or crush test.

» Yard TestThe calves are individually put into a small square yard and the handler should attempt to hold the animal in one corner for about 30 seconds.

» crush TestThe calves are put up a race and individually held in the crush for about 30 seconds. When using either the crush or yard test, the behaviour of animals should be observed and animals scored using the following criteria.

Score Code Description1. Docile - Mild disposition, gentle and easily handled, stands and moves slowly during handling, undisturbed, settled, somewhat dull, does not pull on headgate when in crush, exits crush calmly.2. Restless - quiet but slightly restless, may be stubborn during handling, may try to back out of crush, pulls back on headgate, some flicking of tail, exits crush promptly.3. Nervous - Manageable but nervous and impatient, a moderate amount of struggling, movement and tail flicking, repeated pushing and pulling on headgate, exits crush briskly.4. Flighty - Jumpy and out of control, quivers and struggles violently, may bellow and froth at mouth, continuous tail flicking, defecates and urinates during handling, frantically runs fenceline and may jump when penned individually, exhibits long flight distance and exits crush wildly.5. Aggressive - May be similar to score 4 but with added aggressive behaviour, fearful, extreme agitation, continuous

movement which may include jumping and bellowing while in crush, exits crush frantically and may exhibit attack behaviour when handled alone.

When recording docility scores, it is important to note: » There needs to be some variation in the scores for them to

be used effectively by the BreeDPLAn analysis. That is, scoring all animals in a group with a docility score of [1] will not identify any genetic differences in docility.

» BreeDPLAn can accept half scores if animals exhibit behaviour which is intermediate to the above scores.

» Animals should be assigned a different “temperament management group” if they have had a different level of handling prior to scoring.

» The method of scoring used (ie. crush or yard) should be specified when submitting the docility scores.

» When recording docility scores, it is important that both a consistent scoring method is used and the same person scores all animals that are being assessed in the herd on that particular day.

Docility scores should be submitted directly to the NZHA Registry dept.

Registry Report2014 cALf enTries and ADL’s should be submitted by now. Please give this your urgent attention if they are outstanding.

HYPOTricHOsis ruLe from 1 January 2014, ALL bulls (of any age, including calves) sold for transfer must be correctly sire verified in conjunction with having a DNA profile. Also must be tested and declared free of Hypotrichosis.

TrAnsfer AuTHOrisATiOn cerTificATes are available to download from www.herefords.co.nz . These can be completed, signed and sent to the Office for processing. nOTe: Animals sold at the Ag innovation are the vendor’s responsibility to transfer.

iMPOrTeD sires AnD DAMs Breeders are reminded that before calves can be recorded from imported semen/embryos the sire/dam must be registered with the nZ Hereford Association. information regarding “rules & regulations” can be found in the Herd Book. Artificial Insemination Regulations.if unregistered semen/embryos are used and all the documentation is not available breeders run the risk of not being able to register the resulting progeny in new Zealand. Breeders importing genetics need to initiate the process by ensuring the exporter has supplied the correct documentation to the Association of the animal’s country of origin and requested formal documentation be sent to nZHA.

Linda shailer, registry



The Hereford breed stood out above all others and were a dominant force at Aginnovation 2014 ruling in both the show and sale rings.

Highlights for the breed were many, but Kelly O’neill from Okahu Herefords near raetihi went home with top honours across all areas.

His rising two year old bull, Okahu sonny Bill was selected by senior Judge stuart robbie of Otapawa Herefords, Tiraumea and

Associate Judge roz stokes of Lees Valley Herefords, Oxford as the supreme champion Hereford and other breed judges agreed with their decision because sonny Bill then went on to be named the PGG Wrightson champion of champions.

it proved a very popular win with the buying bench, as sonny Bill went on to sell for $40,000 which was the overall highest price of the event across all breeds.

it was a case of stuart robbie putting his money where his mouth

Greg and Debbie Chamberlain sold Capethorne Panda for the second to highest price across all breeds for $35,000.

Herefords the Dominant Breed at AgInnovation 2014

The Paterson family offered Waikaka Skytower and he fetched $33,000 – the third highest price across all breeds.

Okahu Sonny Bill was named Supreme Champion Hereford at AgInnovation 2014. From left, Associate Judge Roz Stokes, Senior judge Stuart Robbie, NZHA President Philip Shepherd, Kelly O’Neill of Okahu Herefords and David Dodge from Merial-Ancare.

Okahu Sonny Bill was also awarded the PGG Wrightson Champion of Champions award and sold for $40,000 to Otapawa Hereford Stud.



is because he and his family were the successful purchasers of the Okahu bull. “regardless of being involved as judge, i am sure the sale result would have been the

same. We rated sonny Bill as a ‘must have bull’ for our stud,” said stuart.“We are always searching for sires that will add performance and value to our programme.

i certainly believe sonny Bill will do just that, he was a bull worth going the extra distance for, to secure him for our herd.”

Okahu Hereford’s Kelly O’neill said from about three months old, sonny Bill was a stand-out calf and he continued to be as he matured.

Kelly decided to break him in at an early age having confidence he’d make a suitable bull for Aginnovation and the national Hereford show and sale.

“He was always an outstanding calf. He was smooth and well-muscled – a cut above all the other calves.”

He said sonny Bill was out of homebred dam Okahu Pr Alice, who is one of his best cows.

Busy in the show ring, Kelly said he hadn’t had a chance to inspect the other led bulls so hadn’t drawn any conclusions as to how sonny Bill might be placed.

He was thrilled to be named the supreme champion Hereford and even more so to win the PGG Wrightson Champion of Champions – the first time Okahu has achieved this. “I couldn’t believe it. i’ve always considered it to be the ultimate cup to win,” said Kelly.

in 1994 Okahu Herefords also took out the title of supreme champion Hereford. Kelly also felt the purchase of sonny Bill by the robbie family was a big compliment

and he was floored by the price tag of $40,000.“i couldn’t believe it and there’s no question about it – it’s a complement.”“i was very proud to be a Hereford breeder (at Aginnovation). We all got in there and

backed the event and made it a success. We get on and do our bit and make it work.”The O’neill family and Okahu Herefords have been long-time supporters of what is now

Aginnovation. Kelly’s father, Pat, was instrumental in establishing “the national” with Pat being a founder of the first national show and sale which included having a Hereford bull in the first Hereford national show and sale.

stuart robbie said the selection criteria he and roz stokes used in judging the classes was for the bulls to have sound structure, move well on their feet and legs, have good growth and they paid particular attention to carcase characteristics.

“sonny Bill is a bull that ticked all the boxes twice. He is exceptionally sound and moved extremely well. He has very good growth for his age and a tremendous carcase.”

“i was most impressed with his volume and expression of muscling right through his carcase, especially his loin and hindquarters,” said stuart.

resuLTs frOM THe sHOW rinG:-Supreme Champion Hereford:Okahu sonny Bill – Lot 14Reserve Champion Hereford:Te Taumata Dynamic – Lot 12Points Competition:castle Douglas HerefordsDouglas MccartneyHereford Herdsperson Award:Will Gibson, foulden HillHonda Motorcycles NZ Impact Sires Led:1st Okahu sonny Bill – Lot 142nd Te Taumata Dynamic – Lot 133rd foulden Hill Mccoy – Lot 194th Keelryn stately star – Lot 165th Amile Arrow – Lot 17Tru-Test Super Sires:1st capethorne Panda – Lot 452nd Mf shannon – Lot 413rd Glenbrae iconic – Lot 40Honda Motorcycles NZ Impact Sires Unled:1st Matariki 120094 – Lot 352nd Kairuru Jordan – Lot 233rd Willowspring Wilco – Lot 264th Kairuru Jive – Lot 375th Waikaka skytower – Lot 346th Matapouri nash – Lot 387th Matatoki Lion – Lot 298th Hurstpier Giovanni – Lot 30Single Entry Heifers (led and unled):1st castle Douglas Amethyst – Lot 53a (Champion heifer)2nd castle Douglas Almond – Lot 513rd Duncraigen Girl – Lot 52Heifer Pairs1st castle Douglas

The McWilliam family exhibited Te Taumata Dynamic who was judged Reserve Champion Hereford. The fourth time in five years they have gained this recognition.

The NorthFuels BBQ breed lunch was a hit with more than 160 attending.



He said it was a privilege to judge the Hereford bulls at Aginnovation and to have an outstanding bull such as Okahu sonny Bill to place champion.

“it was no surprise that sonny Bill went on to be named champion of champions as in my view he was the standout bull against the other breed champions. Obviously the other judges could see that as well.”

Being in the seedstock business stuart said they are aiming to produce Hereford bulls for supply to clients on the hill country making it extremely important that the cattle are structurally sound to move around the hills.

“i believe we have reached a time where commercial herds have gone through a stage using only one breed across their herds, and have come to the realisation that they have lost their growth rates they once had when crossbreeding. Therefore they are receiving a lesser price at the farm gate when comparing with their smart neighbour who stuck with crossbreeding.”

“There is certainly a lot of enquiry this year from herds like this looking at bringing the Hereford bull back into their breeding programme to add the much needed hybrid vigour. This is why i think it is particularly important to select bulls with good growth.”

He said beef farmers also need to remember they are in the business of producing beef and it is of great importance that they continue to breed cattle with good carcase characteristics and muscle shape to optimise on beef returns.

He said the value of Herefords and their strong carcase characteristics was also evident at the future Beef hoof and hook competition.

“The fact that three Hereford steers where placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd on the hooks in the heavy weight pure bred steer competition against all other breeds must be a clear message to commercial cattlemen that the best way to get the best returns from their herd is to use a Hereford bull.”

stuart said the line up of Hereford bulls was an excellent example of beef cattle at the top of the industry and a pleasure to judge.

“They were a strong line of quality bulls. The high standard of Hereford entries this year shows our breeders are passionate about the breed and emphasising the important traits that make it a leader in beef production.”

Other price highlights for the breed include the capethorne Hereford stud of Greg and Debbie chamberlain selling capethorne Panda for $35,000 – the second highest Hereford price and second highest price across all breeds. The purchasers were the clements family of Matapouri Herefords, Hikurangi. The sire was also judged champion Tru-Test super sire.

The next highest price for the breed (and across all Aginnovation breeds) went to Waikaka skytower offered by the Paterson family which sold for $33,000 to Peter and christine reeves of Mokairau Herefords, Gisborne.

seven other bulls sold for between $10,000 and $13,000 and the average price for the 27 two year old bulls sold was $10,444 up from $9,770 in 2013.

Backing up the Okahu success in the showring was Te Taumata Herefords who took home the title of reserve champion Hereford with Te Taumata Dynamic – the fourth time in the past five years they have achieved this rank.

first time exhibitor Douglas Mccartney from the castle Douglas stud near Tauranga celebrated significant success with his heifer entries. He took out the title of champion Hereford heifer with another of his females placed second. With the first and second place under his belt Douglas then went on to be awarded the prestigious points competition silverware for the best two animals exhibited by one vendor.

The heifers sold well with Duncraigen Girl selling for $4,000 and castle Douglas Almond fetching $3,000.

Young and up-coming breeder Will Gibson from Middlemarch was presented the Hereford Herdsperson award for most competent herdsperson and he offered his first bull, Foulden Hill McCoy which was placed third in the Honda Motorcycles nZ impact sires class (led) which he sold for $9,000 to Lake station Herefords, nelson.

Will Gibson from Middlemarch offered his first bull at AgInnovation and was announced the recipient of the Hereford Herdsperson award.

First time exhibitor Douglas McCartney from Tauranga dominated the female classes which earned him the Points Competition.


1 0 t H E N E W Z E A L A N D H E R E F O R D A S S O C I A t I O N M E M B E R N E W S L E t t E R

Hereford Beef Expo 2014 Results

tOtAL SALES: $305,300

Avg PRICE: $8,723

tOP PRICE: $40,000

LOW PRICE: $2,000

LOT ANIMAL NAME PURCHASER PRICE12 Te TAuMATA DYnAMic 12549 ray Moss Livestock ................................................. $5,50013 WOODBurn LOTTerY 120022 stirling Hill + M stevens ......................................... $10,50014 OKAHu sOnnY BiLL Otapawa ................................................................... $40,00015 KArAMu uLYsses 120006 ray Moss Livestock ................................................ $6,50016 KeeLrYn sTATeLY sTAr 350 rJ Mcevoy .............................................................. $8,00017 AMiLe ArrOW 120001 Morgan family Trust ............................................... $13,00018 GAY LeArninG LeOn i+P Mathieson .......................................................... $4,50019 fOuLDen HiLL MccOY 12 201 Lake stn ................................................................... $9,00020 DuncrAiGen sPArK 136 Lees Valley ............................................................... $10,00021 cAsTLe DOuGLAs MAcGreGOr 120007 ray Moss Livestock ................................................ $4,20022 GAY LeArninG LincOLn .................................................................................. $022 DAVAnDrA sPArK 1218 P+G Olsen ................................................................ $5,00023 KAiruru JOrDAn 120025 Downs family Trust ................................................ $10,50024 GLenBrAe isrAeL 1248 Bannockburn stn ..................................................... $7,50025 GrAssMere PAnDA 804 .................................................................................. $026 WiLLOWsPrinG WiLcO P & s Humphreys .................................................... $4,50027 MATAPOuri nuTLeY 12 158 Avro Trust ................................................................ $4,50028 KL1 Mr fuTure n3 (eT) Hain Partnership ....................................................... $10,00029 MATATOKi LiOn 1224 MT Butterick ............................................................ $6,00030 HursTPier GiOVAnni 9 .................................................................................. $031 rOcK-enD uPPer 2053 .................................................................................. $032 KAnuKA HusTLer 1205 D+c syme ............................................................... $5,20033 TusOns fLAre 465 .................................................................................. $034 WAiKAKA sKYTOWer 1289 Mokairau stn ........................................................... $33,00035 MATAriKi 120094 P+s shepherd ........................................................... $11,00036 WAiOHine cOnrAD 1212 .................................................................................. withdrawn37 KAiruru JiVe 120031 D+D Lowry Ltd ....................................................... $5,20038 MATAPOuri nAsH 12 22 i+P Mathieson .......................................................... $4,50039 HuKArOA KinDLinG 12 131 Lakeview farm Ltd .................................................. $4,20040 GLenBrAe icOnic 1242 riverlee Down Ltd ................................................... $7,20041 Mf sHAnnOn 12 8 T condon ................................................................. $5,50042 KAirAuMATi DAVincHi 1292 .................................................................................. $043 MerrYLeA cHief Ac Masters and son Ls .......................................... $10,50044 fLAGsTAff eMPerOr H13 Allen farms Ltd ....................................................... $7,00045 cAPeTHOrne PAnDA 1251 clements farms ....................................................... $3,500046 MATAPOuri AMeLiA 12 55 Gibson Partnership ................................................... $2,00047 MATAPOuri snOWDrOP 12 60 riverlee Down Ltd ................................................... $2,00048 MATAPOuri POLLY 12 266 i+P Mathieson .......................................................... $2,80049 MATAPOuri fern 12 138 Gibson Partnership .................................................... $2,00050 MATAPOuri MAe 12 21 .................................................................................. $051 cAsTLe DOuGLAs ALMOnD 120004 HD McKay ............................................................... $3,00052 DuncrAiGen GirL 128 c Dunnett ................................................................. $4,00053 cAsTLe DOuGLAs AMeTHYsT 120006 .................................................................................. $053 cAsTLe DOuGLAs AMeTHYsT 120005 richon Partnership ................................................... $2,000

Avg BULL PRICE: $10,444


t H E N E W Z E A L A N D H E R E F O R D A S S O C I A t I O N M E M B E R N E W S L E t t E R 1 1

seventeen year old Hannah Gibb and her Hereford steer have taken out the future Beef nZ 2014 title of Grand champion steer overall.

it’s the second consecutive year the breed has won the title reinforcing that Herefords are a superior breed in all areas.

it is the third year Hannah has participated in the future Beef event and this year’s title cements her win last year of intermediate Ambassador.

Hannah, from feilding, entered two steers that she owned, having purchased them from grandparents Mike and Lorraine Langtry with some of the money she earnt selling her first yearling bull at Aginnovation in 2013.

Her selected steers were a purebred Hereford and a simmental Hereford cross.

“it was a buzz the Hereford took the title, Granddad had an inkling he was a decent animal, but i was surprised to be honest – it was a pleasant surprise. it’s a win for the breed, not just me,” said Hannah.

Mike and Lorraine had purchased a mob of about 50 weaner steers and Mike, Hannah and her cousin sophie Langtry made a selection of a small handful that they put aside for the future Beef competition. Hannah said she asked Mike if she could buy two animals before she selected them from their top cut of the larger mob.

Hannah said while she owned two of the steers her and cousin sophie undertook the preparation of the steer team together.

“We picked them out together and it was cool to do it with someone who has the same passion. We are definitely a team.” She said in selecting her steers as weaners it was important to consider the potential of the animal.

she said the animals’ capacity to grow into a meaty carcase that hung up well was important along with structural soundness.

Herefords clean up at Future Beef 2014

Niamh BarnettAnna Robbie

Hannah Gibb with her Hereford steer that took out the Future Beef NZ Hoof and Hook competition for 2014.

Jorja Robertson

“They had to have a nice top line, back end and carcase traits and be structurally sound.”

Hannah said it was a real thrill to be able to compete against others who had been involved for longer than she has in the competition.

she said she enjoyed the whole process of future Beef.“from selecting the steer in the paddock to taking it through the



The Hereford handler results were:-Junior 3rd sophie LangtryHighly commended Anna robbieintermediate Open 3rd Jorja robertsonModule Results were:- Junior: 1st Anna robbieintermediate 2nd James robbiesenior 2nd Will GibsonJudging competition results were:-Junior 2nd sophie Langtry 3rd Anna robbieintermediate 3rd Jorja robertsonThe Steer Hoof Results were:-Heavy Weight steer (Hoof) – Pure Bred 3rd Hannah Gibb, Herefordcross Bred steer 4th Hannah Gibb, Hereford simmental crossThe Steer Hook Results were:-Heavy Weight steer (Hook) – Pure Bred 1st Hannah Gibb, Hereford 2nd Otapawa, Hereford 3rd Otapawa, Herefordcross bred steer 4th Hain, Hereford simmental

Angus crossChampion Heavy Weight Steerchampion Hannah Gibb, HerefordGrand Champion Steer (hook)res champion, Hannah Gibb, HerefordOVERALL RESULTS:-Light weight steer (overall) pure bred steer 3rd Otapawa, HerefordHeavy Weight steer (overall) purebred steer 1st Hannah Gibb, Hereford 3rd Otapawa, HerefordCrossbred Steer 4th Hain Hereford

simmental Angus crossChampion Heavy Weight Steerchampion Hannah Gibb, HerefordChampion Steer (Overall)champion Hannah Gibb, Hereford.

HOOF AND HOOk RESULTS

hoof judging them the hook, all the modules and handling. it’s a whole range of stuff that’s all beef industry related.”

“The modules this year were fantastic with such a huge range. They let us sample lots of different aspects of the industry,” she said.

“Anyone can give it a go, you don’t need to be off a farm because future Beef teaches you rather than expecting you to know.”

Hannah is going to study Ag science at Lincoln university next year and while she has no specific career plans she has her sights set on being involved in the beef industry.

Hereford judge stuart robbie kept a close eye on the future Beef competition and said the Hereford results are a testament to the strength of the breed and highlights what the breed has to offer the beef sector.

“The fact that three Hereford steers where placed first, second and third on the hooks in the heavy weight pure bred steer competition against all other breeds must be a clear message to commercial cattlemen that the best way to get the best returns from their herd is to use a Hereford bull,” said stuart.

not only was the Hereford breed well represented on the hook but handlers from the Hereford community also featured strongly.

James Robbie

The line up of led Herefords made quite a spectacle at AgInnovation 2014.



Oops.The list of sale dates on the back cover of the 2014 edition

of nZ Herefords regrettably contains some errors. We inadvertently listed the . . .

» Otengi and Waimaire studs as hosting a May sale. They only host sales on June 27 and september 4.

» newcastle stud will be hosting their september 10 sale at the frankton sale yards not at ngaruawahia.

» Pyramid Downs stud near Gore will be hosting their sale at Gore, not cave.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and confusion this causes.

natalie campbell,editor, nZ Herefords.

One of Pip’s many highlights of his recent trip was observing progeny from nZ bloodlines introduced to several Australian Hereford herds he visited. Another absolute highlight was attending the central Australia Beef Producers Workshop near Alice springs in central Australia - a rare opportunity to see some great lines of Hereford cattle in a very different environment.

An exert from Pip’s full account of his travels… We were going to go to Mount riddock station about 2 1/2 hours

drive out of Alice spring. They were holding a central Australia Beef Producers Workshop there for the next few days. i was really lucky to by driving out with Herefords Australia ceO John McKew, chairman steve reid, and Vice chairman Pat Pearce. To be spending a good amount of time with these forward thinking men who had great plans for the breed was a real thrill.

We got to Mount riddock station. We met station owners and managers steven and Bec cadzow, who run 8000 head of Poll Hereford cattle on their property. To say this place was alien to me was an understatement but very beautiful all the same.

The venue for the workshop, Mt riddock station, has been owned and operated by the cadzow family since 1986. The station is 2660 square kilometres in area and is located 200 kilometres north east of Alice springs by road and 100 kilometres north east by air. The iconic Harts range runs through the property from east to west.

There were around 80 people here from all over Australia to see this beef workshop and get a feel for Mount riddock station.

The impressive list of highly-qualified speakers compiled for the workshop included representatives from Meat & Livestock Australia, JBs Australia, Livestock central, Observant, southern Beef Technology services, Meat standards Australia, AgchatOZ,

Pip Robinson, Kokonga Hereford Stud,

NZ Herefords Ambassador to Australia, 2014

My Hereford Australian Exchange … I remember thinking a few days out from when I was about to head over to Australia. thinking I had

no real idea of what I was going to see. By the end of trip it lived up to more than I could ever believe.

Precision Pastoral, OBe Organic Australia, and the nT Department of Primary industries & fisheries.

Topics that were discussed included wide-ranging eu issues, weight loss during transportation, remote monitoring, and social media in agriculture, managing seasons and grass, drafting systems, genetic selection tools, a seaming demonstration and much more.

read Pip’s extensive trip report on www.herefords.co.nz

under ‘What’s new’ on the home page



A presentation was made to retiring councillor Peter smyth at the recent nZHA breed luncheon. After sitting for 12 years on the nZHA council, Peter has chosen to retire his position. nZHA President Philip shepherd spoke about Peter’s long-time involvement with nZ Herefords and the wider beef industry.

Peter’s contribution to the breed and the wider beef industry executives/councils has been ongoing and prevalent. Peter has stood on a number of Boards in the past 12 years mainly as Treasurer. These include PBB, Beef Holdings and nZHA of which he was President from 2011-2013 and spent six years as Treasurer. He is also a current Hereford Prime director.

Peter has also been involved with the rAs as the Hereford Association representative and has been keenly involved with several World Hereford Conferences. The first conference Peter attended was in Australia where he organised a very successful youth tour which set the benchmark for future ambassador tours. Peter was nZHA President at the time of the World Hereford conference in canada, 2012.

Peter, stud master of na Pute Puti Herefords, is a keen supporter of the annual future Beef event, designed to encourage and promote youth involvement and interest in the Beef industry. The stud has sponsored future Beef classes for the past three years now, latterly supreme Grand champion and reserve Grand champion steer (Overall).

Peter’s wife Jill was thanked for her support over the years

especially her technical expertise with emails and computer technology. “Although, now that Peter has mastered it, the system is failing and they don’t get through,” Philip told with a laugh.

Peter continues his directorship with Beef Holdings company and as Treasurer for Hereford Prime.

NZHA farewells Retiring Councillor Peter Smyth

29th may monymusk herefords Chris, Jayne and henry douglas. te Anau.30/30 sold. Average price $7,068. Top price - Lot 1 Monymusk Heir Apparent 120090 by Matariki Holy smoke. sold to $11,500 to Knightlands stud, Whakatane.Lot 8 Monymusk Halloween 120049 by Matariki Holy smoke. sold to P Thomas, Mossburn for $11,000. Volume buyers (3 bulls each): - cheviot Downs - TeAnau Glenary station Waikaia and P Thomas - Mossburn .

Waikaka Herefords No. Avg TopLaurie & Sharon Paterson, Gore 18/24 $4,894 $15,000Top price to flagstaff Herefords, Hokitika.

30th MayRock-End Herefords No. Avg TopPeter & kirsty McCormick, Aria 15/15 $4,426 $5,500Top price (three times) to Kaitoa stud, Dannevirke and Bexley stud, Mokau.

3rd June No. Avg TopHain Herefords 11/13 $4,509Sam & Gemma Hain, Gisborne Polled 14/15 $5,164

2014 Breeder Sale ResultsOtapawa Herfords No. Avg TopRobbie Family, Eketahuna 25/29 $5,735 $9,500Three bulls sold to stud, including joint top price of $9,500 to Kairuru stud, reporoa and capethorne stud, cheviot.

4th Junekairuru Herefords No. Avg Topkevin & Jane McDonald, Reporoa 25/27 $5,128 $10,000Top price for Lot 1 to Keelryn stud, inglewood. Lot 17 sold to Herepuru stud, Whakatane.

Orari Gorge Herefords No. Avg TopGraham, Rosa, Robert & 29/31 $5707 $9,000 Alex Peacock, GeraldineTop price (twice) to Grant family, Gore, & Allen family, Pleasant Point.

Okawa Herefords No. Avg TopDavid & Rosemary Morrow, Ashburton 44 $8,054 $55,000Top price purchaser: Kokonga Hereford stud, Tuakausecond top price bull sold for $44,000 to Orari Gorge Hereford stud, Geraldine. 44/44 sold (3 immediately following the sale). 5 bulls were sold to the chatham islands. A number of bulls were sold to commercial buyers for $4,000-$7,000.



Day 1- as reported by Anna Smith, Newcastle HerefordsThe group assembled at christchurch Airport on the morning of

March 31st, with the first stop being morning tea with Matt Lawrey of Merial Ancare, generous sponsors of nZHA. The group looked at some of Merials current products supplied to the market and interesting discussion ensued about what people are seeing on their farms. The group also got to check out the earthquake stricken city centre, with the scale of the damage all too readily apparent, it made John Hartnells evening address very real to all.

That afternoon the group travelled to Lincoln university to meet with Professor Jon Hickford, a specialist at Lincoln's Department of Agricultural sciences. Lincoln university's Gene-Marker

Laboratory undertakes research in animal molecular genetics. While most of Professor Hickford's talk focused on single gene testing in sheep (including tests for dermatosparaxis and microphthalmia), there was a positive discussion on BreedPLAN, and the confidence Hereford breeders can take from this system. Professor Hickford showed the group through the laboratory and demonstrated the technology used for gene testing. it was fascinating to see the blood collected by farmers from across the world being tested in the laboratory context.

We then headed to Brent and Anna fishers silverstream stud to view the expo bound Hereford bulls as well as some of their very impressive charolais cattle.

At the end of March, this year’s group of Hereford Ambassadors gathered at Christchurch Airport for a technical tour around the Canterbury region. the select group were joined by Mark Duthie from Dalby, Australia, the successful recipient of this year’s Australian/NZ Hereford youth exchange. the participants reported on various aspects of the tour.

NZHA Ambassador technical tour 2014 Canterbury Region



Later that day we travelled back to christchurch and met with John Hartnell from federated farmers. John led the organisation's response to the christchurch earthquake in 2011. nicknamed "The farmy Army", the federated farmers team co-ordinated up to 850 volunteers each day in the period following the quake.

John led a team based at the canterbury Agricultural Park in organising farmers, equipment, and other volunteers to help clear liquefaction, deliver food parcels, and providing hot meals. up to 850 farmers were working with the farmy Army on a daily basis.

John spoke to us about the key learning points from his experiences with the organising the farmy Army volunteers, including: developing a central communications strategy; having clear safety processes; and having a system to know where the volunteers are and where they are needed most.

A message that resonated with the group was that any perceived divide between town and country was stripped away during the immediate response period following the quake, and this feeling has continued with federated farmers' ongoing efforts in the community.

Day 2 am - as reported by Peter kane, kL1 Herefordssilver fern farms has developed two new concepts; eating

quality and Hereford Backbone Partnership Programme to add value to cuts of beef which will ultimately give farmers more knowledge of their stock being killed plus more money in the back pocket.

The Belfast Processing Plant has been processing stock for the last 130 years but today only processes beef.

Hereford Backbone Partnership A supply contract which offers guaranteed space allocation

over 12 months with the option of earning extra premiums. Being contracted under this programme also gives suppliers and the opportunity to enter the eating quality programme which has an extra premium allowance for steers or heifers, contracted under Hereford program, giving a 15c/Kg above the schedule. if the animal meets the strict criteria for the eq program, they will receive a further 10c/kg.The criteria for eligibility into the Hereford Backbone Partnership Programme is:-

» pH 5.6 or below » P1 and P2 steers and heifers only » 270kg - 370kg (winter 245-379kg) » guideline age 36 months and younger. » 50% Hereford crossed with any other British breed. » Must be no HGP. » All animals to be tagged with nAiT approved rfiD tag

Eating Quality (EQ) ProgrammeThis new sff programme infers being paid for quality instead

of quantity.The eq Programme was in conjunction with Texas Tech

university and Otago university Department of food sciences. 13900 people were taste testers of 9700 samples of beef - the result being consumers have a preference for beef that is tender, juicy and

has flavour. Marbling, pH Ossification, Rib fat thickness, Fat colour, Meat colour, carcass weight all have a great effect on the meat attributes the consumer want so a scoring system was developed to score all carcasses.

To be eligible to enter the eq program farmers must be on the Hereford Backbone Partnership, Angus Backbone Partnership or the reserve Back Bone Partnership.

As it very early stages of EQ program SFF are finding there is variation between ni and si animals, 34%of the ni are entering the program compared to 28% of the si. some farmers are getting as high as 80% entering the program but some only getting 26%. One common trend is the mixing of lines prior to the trucking of the cattle is having an influence of the success rate entering the EQ program as the mixing of different lines is increasing stress levels.

Belfast Plant Tour

The tour through the plant was interesting, observing cattle being slaughtered through to the chiller stage, through to the boning room. The quick speed in which animals travel through the plant to be quickly broken down into two halves (this showed me i'm very slow at skinning old cows for dog tuckers). Once halves are in the chiller for 21 days for ageing on the bone to occur, variation in carcass size becomes very obvious.

Day 2 pm- as reported by Willie Muir, Otaua Herefords On Tuesday afternoon we travelled to rushbrook farm at

Leeston near Lake ellesmere, 40km south west of christchurch, for a structural assessment workshop, with Jane Allan and Wayne McLaren and Bill and Judy Austin. rushbrook farm owned by Phil Garrett consists of 440ha in total, 220 of which is a 900 cow dairy farm; the rest is used for dairy support, beef cattle and cropping. The most outstanding feature on the farm is the 187 x 37 metre cow house, which can fully enclose the entire dairy herd if necessary, for an unlimited amount of time.

in the structural assessment workshop, Wayne and Bill used dairy cows assessing for faults and desired traits on feet and legs, in particular with the various models on display. The appropriate assessments were used to score the other important areas of the beast, to demonstrate what is acceptable in a seed stock breeding program. Also those that showed greater variation, but acceptable in a wider commercial breeding programme, and the lower scoring animals that should be looked at closely before purchasing, and those that should be culled.

rushbrook Dairy farm included a big shed capable of housing 1000 cows, described as a hybrid system, where cattle could be completely confined or graze outside, then utilise in shed feeding and loafing as weather and conditions dictated. Due to the close proximity to Lake ellesmere, the high water table, on-going environmental constraints, and good dairy husbandry of both the land and the cows, owner Phil Garrett had decided to improve his farming business by building this impressive cow housing complex. No longer having to buy in fertiliser, as all effluent from the cow shed and the barn were collected and spread evenly across the farm. A near 20% year on year improvement in milk yield over the last 3 years, lower animal health costs, and being able to milk all year



round regardless of the weather, the $5000/cow barn was delivering all sorts of benefits and expected a 15 year pay back.

A passion for the red breeds, Phil Garrett had mainly Milking shorthorn, Mri, and Ayrshire cows, with a few friesians and crossbreds. The barn had rekindled renewed interest in farming for the 75 year old Garrett, something he outwardly displayed to everyone present. something that is impossible to put a price on.

Day 3 am - as reported by Trudy Robertson, Rosebank Herefords

Visiting the Beechwood Polled Hereford, charolais and romney stud of rob and Mary Ann Burrows near culverden. Beechwood Polled Herefords were started in 1962 on the 275ha property by rob’s mother Margaret Burrows with three Bluedale cows and a heifer calf bred by Lorne Williams, fox Glacier. Although the original cows were horned, polled bulls were used right from the beginning. All the Beechwood spot cows in their herd are descendants of the bought in heifer calf who was amazingly quiet. More females were bought into the herd from Buick’s Brigadoon stud, of which the Beechwood Bella’s trace back to. Among the best sires they have used are Clifton Jolly, Clearfield Sir John, Braxton Westwind, Matariki Vercoe, Tetley Park seaton and Westholm Kipling.

Beechwood bulls were first sold at the Temuka Sale then from 1974 moved to the combined Bull sale at culverden. in 2003 Beechwood held their first on farm sale along with bulls from Kaiwara Angus and The Downs Angus. This year they will have 20-23 bulls available at the sale.

When we arrived at Beechwood we met up with rob at a holding paddock with his charolais bulls. There he gave us an overview of his farming operation, agricultural changes in the wider community and the irrigation scheme from Hurunui river. Beechwood will be wintering 425 head of cattle and 1,180 sheep. starting in late september through to approximately late April, they border dyke (flood) irrigate 125ha every 15 days. It takes 5 days to cover the 125ha and they are looking at putting in a dam at the front of the property to catch any excess water to reuse. The irrigation has an annual cost of $52 per hectare which is $6508 GsT excl per year. They have regrassed the irrigation block to increase production.

rob also explained his stud romney ram policy, explaining the foot rot scoring, with most of his rams being at the top end 1.1 or 1.3 rams from a 1-5 scale. in the woolshed, rob gave us a lesson on basic genetics. using an example of crossing a horned Hereford with a black polled Angus and what the genetic outcomes could be in relation to the physical appearance of the offspring. from the original cross there is a 1/64 chance of getting a complete recessive animal that would be red with a plain face and is horned. David Dodge from Merial Ancare gave us an example of how genetics play a role in drench resistant worms and how using a combination drench can help combat the drench resistance.

We had a look at rob’s Hereford sale bulls in the yards then went on a short farm tour. Thank you to rob and Mary Ann for having us, providing a lovely lunch and to the nZHA for putting the tour together, also Paul scott for being the tour guide and Merial Ancare for being the main sponsor of this Technical Ambassador Tour for 2014.

Day 3 pm - Montrose Station as reported by Malcom Harvey, Tarangire Herefords

We arrived at Mt Montrose and met operator, Dave McKenzie who gave us a brief rundown on his operation, consisting of 800 cows, 3700 ewes plus support stock on 2400ha made up of 600ha of tractor country, 1000ha being oversown and the balance is native. The main wind is from the nor west with rainfall between 800ml 1000ml.

Dave runs the property himself with aid from a single man. Horses are still used throughout the year. The mean calving date is 1st of October, both Hereford and Angus bulls are used to maintain the black with white face cow. Weaning takes place the first week of April with some calves sold and some kept as replacements and for finishing.

Dave took us to view some cows with calves at foot. This year the cows with steer calves were separated from the heifer calves so that the cows with steer calves could be given better feed to push the calves along. it was so refreshing to listen to Dave's views that the cows are not just there to be a lawn mower, but to make money.

We talked about what Dave looks for in a bull and talked about the benefits of EBV's. We also had a brief chat with Dave’s brother-in-law, Ben who farms the other half of Montrose where he runs 700 Angus cows to the Angus bull. He finishes all progeny which are killed through silver fern farms and also runs 4000 ewes plus support stock on 2700ha. Our Australian ambassador on tour Mark Duthie gave us a rundown on what the Australians look for in a bull and the direction their industry is heading. This afternoon it was easy to spot the queenslander as the Kiwis were being annoyed by the flies, Mark was standing there not at all bothered by them!

Day 4 - NZHA Beef Cow Field Day as reported by Helen Molloy, Woodburn Herefords

The sun rose above Hamner, shaping up what was to be an outstanding day and after a short drive through the Leslie Hills road and over the Leader road we arrived at Mendip Hills station. Mendip Hills is a 6140ha station running sheep, cattle and deer extending well over 13km’s long. The property is run in conjunction with 180ha irrigated block at spotwood (10 minutes away), and 150ha block in Ashburton. simon and Meisha Lee and family have been on Mendip Hills for seven and a half years running the station with six permanent staff, who obviously highly respect simon for his knowledge and leadership skills.

Hereford and Hereford Angus cross cows are used with no exotic influences as they value the docility of their herd and also to ensure staff safety.

We were lucky to have an extensive tour of the station, as part of the nZHA ‘The importance of the Beef cow’ field Day, including lunch out the back where awesome views could be taken in.

There is much development work evident including getting reliable water to the back blocks so those blocks can be better utilised in the summer months. We saw how steep some of the blocks were that have been worked with the tractors and dozers to get better pastures in through a rotation of winter and summer feeds first before sow downs.

Merial Ancare talked about the benefits of oral vs injectable vs



pour-on drenches and it was notable that they are all as effective as each other when using double or triple combinations as long as they are administered accurately.

nicky Hyslop presented the theme ‘The importance of the Beef Cow’ which was a result from findings from the Beef Profit Partnership programme researched in the Mid canterbury, high country areas. As we know the Beef cow is the vehicle for cleaning up pastures for young stock or helping to break in country which is underestimated when put in financial terms. There was a comment made that getting the Beef cow Production right can give you better returns than Dairy Grazing.

Discussions with Jim Gibb from Lincoln university, provided participants with thoughts and figures around feeding fodder beet - it is a high energy, cheap feed that only requires fibre partnering not expensive protein unless feeding calves still requiring protein in their diet. Good results start right back at pre-drilling stage getting the basics right.

To conclude the day, stephen flynn from Bowmont Meats demonstrated seaming out a rump while celebrity chef, Jax Hamilton cooked different beef muscle groups.

i would like to thank nZ Herefords for allowing me to attend the Hereford Ambassador Technical Tour which has been informative and interesting while meeting fellow Breeders.

Footnote:It was a pleasure to accompany the Ambassadors on this

2014 tour. There were some real characters and good vibrant

discussion that challenged us all in our thinking about Hereford stud breeding. It is also worthwhile to note that the Strategic Plan themes were well covered in discussions during our travels. Leadership was very deeply discussed with John Hartnells, Farmy Army, and that could not help but make an impression on the group. Market was well analysed in particular with the SFF EQ programme that emphasised Plate to Pasture ( not the other way round) and the Farm theme was well covered by being able to compare and contrast the extensive operations of Montrose and Mendip Hills vs the well-respected Beechwood stud with the intensive hybrid dairy operation at Rushbrook. Governance was a well discussed topic in the evenings over dinner, and the inclusion of our Australian exchangee added a new dimension that can only help to enhance our Growth and Development aspirations.

Many thanks to all of those who hosted us along the way; I would also like to thank David Dodge and Merial Ancare for

their very generous sponsorship, and the NZHA membership for their continued support of the Ambassador Programme and Youth Auction. I can assure the membership it is money well invested as Herefords seek to enhance their position in the NZ beef industry.

Paul Scott, Matatoki Herefords(Tour leader and Chair of the NZHA Ambassador Committee)

Dave Warburton of the Waiohine Hereford stud is the inaugural winner of the nZ Hereford Association carcase challenge cup – formerly called the Beanbah Boomerang.

The cup is awarded to the entrant of the highest placing Hereford or Hereford derived carcase entered in the steak of Origin competition.

Dave’s pure bred Hereford heifer was entered in c2 (Best of Breed - British) of the steak of Origin. Given that no Hereford carcases made it to the finals the carcase with the score for best tenderness (kilograms of shearforce) was used to identify Dave’s entry as the winner with a score of 4.52. Carne Technologies who undertook the measurements define a score of less than 5 as ‘very tender’. All Hereford carcases in Classes 2 and 3 of the semi-finals had tenderness scores of less than 5.

The Waiohine heifer was sired by Ai sire Wirruna Daffy and the carcase also scored 3 for marbling and recorded a pH of 5.44.

Dave wins the trophy for a year and a $500 cash prize.To be eligible for the challenge cup the entered carcases

must be sire by a registered Hereford and have been entered by a current member.

We have a Winner!

There were 23 pure bred Hereford entries in the Best of British class and 24 Hereford derived entries in the Best of crossbreed class (from both members and non-members). The entire competition received 340 entries.

in class 4, Best of Brand-retail there were 17 Hereford entries and in Best of Brand Wholesale there were 18 Hereford entries.

Dave Warburton


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Kirstin Mills

Keyboard shortcuts can speed up your workflow on a computer but not everyone knows about them – even those who do might not be aware of some of the more obscure ones.

The PC shortcuts mentioned will work with most software applications. Some software will have its own shortcuts so if anything below doesn’t work do a Google search for shortcuts for the specific software you’re using (you can also Google search Mac shortcuts).

Copying, cutting and pastingMost people probably know about the

shortcut for copying: you select the text or item you want to copy, hold down the control key (labelled “Ctrl” on your keyboard) and press the “C” key. Cutting is the same but you use Ctrl+X instead of Ctrl+C. Then when you want to “paste” you put your cursor where you want to paste the text or item and press the key combination Ctrl+V. But even if you knew these shortcuts did you know you can also copy text by holding down the Ctrl key while dragging your selection to where you want to copy it?

Selecting textIf you are using a trackpad mouse

selecting text can sometimes be tricky. To move your cursor one word at a time hold down Ctrl and use the left and right arrow keys. To select one word at a time hold down Ctrl and Shift and use the left and right arrow keys. You can use the same Ctrl and Ctrl+Shift combinations with the up and down arrow keys to move or select a paragraph at a time. To select everything use Ctrl A (for “all”) – to

delete an entire word hold down Ctrl and press the Backspace key.

Customising a fontYou can also bold, italicise, and

underline text via the keyboard – simply select the relevant text and press the combination keys Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, or Ctrl+U respectively.

Switching between open software applications

If you have a lot of different software applications open at once then holding down the alternative key – labelled Alt on your keyboard – while you repeatedly hit Tab will let you quickly preview, and switch to, programmes already open on your computer.

The Windows keyTo get to your desktop quickly hold

down the Windows key – the one with the Windows logo on it – and press D; to open My Computer hold the Windows key while pressing E. The Windows key and L will lock your computer.

Working in Windows ExplorerAnd what about if you’re looking at

a list of files in Windows Explorer and want to see the properties of one of the files? Instead of right-clicking and then selecting Properties from the list, simply hold down the Alt key and hit the Enter key. You can also rename files by selecting the relevant file and pressing the F2 key.

You probably know how to use the Home and End keys to navigate in a document but did you know they can also work in the likes of Windows Explorer to quickly get to the bottom (or top) of a list of files and/or folders?

ZoomingIf you have a trackwheel on your

mouse you can zoom in or out by holding down the Ctrl key while moving the wheel backwards or forwards. If you want to return to the default zoom use Ctrl+0.

Most usefulAnd finally, two of the most useful

shortcuts have to be Ctrl+Z (undo your last action) and Ctrl+F (find) – I sometimes wish there was a Ctrl+Z and a Ctrl+F for real life.

Everyday tasksThese are a series of shortcuts for common tasks when using software:

• Open a file – Ctrl+O• Save a file – Ctrl+S• Create a new file – Ctrl+N• Close window – Ctrl+W• Close software – Alt+Enter

TECHNOLOGY | SHORTCUTS

Taking keyboard control Keyboard shortcuts can increase computer efficiency.

Two of the most useful shortcuts have to be Ctrl+Z (undo your

last action) and Ctrl+F (find) – I sometimes wish there was a

Ctrl+Z and a Ctrl+F for real life.

Courtesy of Country-Wide Publication


www.silverfernfarms.comfoodservice.silverfernfarms.co.nz

For more information, or if you would like to join Silver Fern Farms Backbone® Hereford Partnership Programme, please contact: [email protected]

supplying the very best of new zealandSilver Fern Farms’ Backbone® Partnerships reward you for enabling your co-operative

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That is how, working together, we will build a

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aginggracefully.

Traditionally subtle yet complex flavours A breed that exemplifies traditional beef flavour, with the complexity and subtlety of a grass-fed diet.

Calm temperament for consistently prime beef

A naturally tender breed

Hereford is an uncommonly fine breed of beef with a hardy constitution that comes from its English roots. Reared in New Zealand’s lush pastures, Silver Fern Farms Premier Selection Hereford Beef’s broad shouldered muscularity and calm temperament allow it to reach a consistently prime condition. The supremely tender meat that results is full of subtle, yet complex flavours that are concentrated as it ages.

Silver Fern Farms Premier Selection Hereford New Zealand Beef is marketed proudly on the world stage with a unique promise.

hooked on HEREFORDSherefords.co.nz/newsletters/201406/Hooked_on_Herefords...Okawa Hereford stud in canterbury more than meets this criteria and was recently presented a fellowship

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